@thane16 one chance is – The Doctor is ordinary. Like Ruby, as in, normal parents, normal baby – for wherever he comes from. He grew up in an elite. He turned out to be the blueprint of the elite. But he’s average for his natal race.

and yet, if some of them turn up – oh he’s extraordinary now. All the things he’s done and the people he’s met. He…[Read more]

@vickymallard I don’t know if it’s misdirection, and there is something else coming.

@whohar in this light of this I do have a first Pratchett recommendation: going postal. It’s very much on this theme.

@whohar oh that is a matter of great debate! most people agree that Night Watch is hands down his best work, but it works better with the context of the earlier watch books, feelings are very mixed about the first few novels, wars break out about standalone v particular series (the witches, industrial revolution, wizards, DEATH, the Watch). Just…[Read more]

@wolvesarerunning I feel like I’m defending an episode I was pretty disappointed with but here’s the thing – when pictures of Ruby’s mother popped up by instinctive, instant reaction was ‘oh, she looks so ordinary’. And RTD did, as you say, troll the hell out of us with possibilities. The woman in the tent, no one can’t convince me that wasn’t a…[Read more]

@mudlark my impression was that it was Ruby’s mother who he couldn’t see – this mysterious hooded person in the video that was projected into the room.

@theconsultant I don’ love this episode, but I think the point with the god was, he couldn’t see her. He assumed she must be incredibly significant and important for that to be the case. And she was, but just to Ruby.

@juniperfish @thane16 – he looked in pain when Ruby left – but was he crying? I’m not sure there were tears.

I think somebody has said here that this Doctor hasn’t shown the kind of awe inspiring anger that some of the last Doctors have, there is an outside chance that a Doctor might be too  well adjusted – or alternatively, we’re just not used…[Read more]

@nanoroar I’m the same. Episodes three to seven were fantastic to me. I felt really engaged in the speculation. The resolution isn’t so satisfying. I do think there are possible threads. I don’t really understand why the snow – was it the Tardis engaging with Ruby? Mrs Flood remains intriguing. Rogue will hopefully be another River-Character.

At…[Read more]

@cookgroom My theory is Chameleon arced. At some point during the Christmas episode it was broken.

@ps1l0v3y0u. quit possibly we’ll see him actively looking out for his daughter/son, which he said he’s rather shied away from, but knew would exist at some point, because he knew Susan. RTD hasn’t told us/decided yet how much he knows. I think he thinks Jenny is dead. But this is one thing I really do like – the Time-whimey child, who’s own child…[Read more]

Well, there’s the Russell.

the total death and destruction so early on confirmed we were watching to see how he undoes it, no ifs. Which is fine and it wasn’t badly done but…

Ruby is important because she was important to the Doctor. Which isn’t a bad shift back in emphasis rather than a second Clara.

but what does this explain? Why was she mak…[Read more]

@thane16 – I mean, think about it. Pond, River, Flood – names on the Matriarchal line.

<span class=”useratname”>@mudlark The more I think about I the more I like it, as much in terms of storytelling style as anything.

</span>

and we have two mysterious older women, two mysteriously abandoned babies.

this has been such a playful series!

So excited for the next episode- Moffat level for me more than original RTD.

final predictions in descending order of confidence:

Ruby is whatever the Doctor is. Potentially his daughter.

The heart issue won’t be 100% satisfactorily explained.

The Doctor is linked to the pantheon. He comes from magic.

there should be a few between t…[Read more]

@bunface that’s a good point about the Whovian chatroom feeling.  Who is this woman who keeps appearing? Could it be Susan? Let’s replay this video really slowly and look really closely. Is that an anagram? I found that really fun.

@thane16 oh I think he can be. And thinking about it, when is Mel most use to him? When she’s telling him he’s amazing, or when she’s telling him to get over himself and get on with it? Companions, after all, keep the Doctor grounded.

another thing that’s occurred to me. When he explains regeneration to Ruby he says sometimes their faces…[Read more]

@thane16 and I loved hat the mother whose raised Ruby wanted to tell her birth mother that she took her in, that her baby was cared for – not in a possessive way, but in a don’t be so sad, she was looked after and loved.

I wonder why is that that when, briefly, Ruby had not been her daughter, she was just so cold, and blank, and uncaring. A…[Read more]

@thane16 doesn’t Ruby’s mother (the known one) say it’s the beast?

This Doctor is very in touch with his emotions. Crying every episode, his horrified frustrated rage in Dot and Bubble. His instant flirty crush in Rouge. After all, if Fourteen is working through his stuff on earth, with his earth family. it’s probably going to lean into that. And…[Read more]

Puppy!

@janetteb I was thinking of you during the first half. I think at least, it’s like when you get the wrong answer on The Chase and so does the Chaser, because the Doctor was really buying the Susan theory for a while there.

And we have new Susan knowledge! The Doctor isn’t a dad (yet). And he’s scared to become one. What would that…[Read more]